Toledo Mayor Carleton S. Finkbeiner,
the new chair of the Rebuild America Coalition, told members of the organization
March 9 that “We need to stop being ashamed of lobbying for infrastructure
projects.”

Finkbeiner shared his views on how
he plans to lead the Coalition, which represents more than 50 public and private
organizations involved with national infrastructure issues, at a press and
member briefing in Washington, DC. He spoke of the need to look for ways to
adapt the group’s message to tap greater public support for infrastructure
investment. “We can’t use the same messages. We must keep up with the
times.”

He emphasized that this approach
wouldn’t diminish the Coalition’s support for traditional infrastructure
priorities, but he cited the public’s growing interest in public schools and
the need for the Coalition to address these issues. “We are all concerned with
roadways, and traditional infrastructure issues, but an area I is critical as I
begin my service with Rebuild America is the focus on rebuilding public
institutions of learning – our schools. They have been overlooked for too long
and we’re going to change that,” Finkbeiner said.

Pledging strong leadership on behalf
of the Coalition, Finkbeiner said, “I will do everything possible to advance
and expand the Rebuild America agenda aggressively. This is why I am a
part of these efforts. We have over 50 public and private members from across
the country as well as several state and local chapters across the country. We
are working to get the message out that the time to invest in America’s
infrastructure is now, not next year, or in five or ten years.”

During his remarks, Finkbeiner
praised the leadership of his predecessor, former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell,
stating, “I am proud to follow in his footsteps.” He also discussed his
recent experiences in Toledo with infrastructure investment, crediting the
condition of the City’s transportation and other facilities with encouraging
the Daimler/Chrysler investment of $1.5 billion for a new Jeep production
facility. “Our infrastructure paved the way for this investment,” Finkbeiner
said.